Currently, the U.S.-Russia Alaska summit has officially ended. From the preparation stage, this negotiation has attracted global attention. On the day of the meeting, Trump personally greeted Putin on the red carpet, showing a grand display and demonstrating great importance for this meeting.

Before the meeting, Trump had claimed that if the talks didn't go well, the summit could end in "a few minutes," but in the end, both sides had in-depth exchanges, which was sufficient to show that both sides could actually talk.

However, after both sides officially entered the meeting hall, there were some changes in the original meeting arrangements. The planned "one-on-one" meeting was temporarily changed to a "three-on-three" meeting.

The U.S. side included Trump, Secretary of State Rubio, and Middle East special envoy Witko; the Russian side included Putin, Foreign Minister Lavrov, and Presidential Assistant Usachev. Both sides probably wanted to conclude the meeting quickly.

The meeting lasted nearly three hours before ending. Afterward, both sides immediately held a press conference. Trump said that this meeting achieved some progress, but the two countries did not ultimately reach an agreement. However, he expressed optimism, stating that there is currently a good opportunity.

Additionally, Trump said he would call NATO and Zelensky to inform them of the situation, but he had already given Kyiv a "suggestion" - that Ukraine should agree to a deal with Moscow.

He pointed out that Russia is a powerful country, while Ukraine is not. The meaning of this statement is self-evident, which can also be seen as a form of pressure on Zelensky. After all, Trump found no breakthrough with Putin.

After the meeting, Trump's statements also showed a subtle change. He actively withdrew his previous threat of "considering increasing pressure on Russia," but he emphasized that he would not do so at the moment.

Interestingly, shortly after, when Trump was interviewed by Fox News, he made an evaluation of Putin: he is a tough person.

It is worth noting that since Trump returned to power, he has waved the tariff stick around the world, especially targeting China with heavy blows, imposing high tariffs without reason. In response, China naturally did not fall into a passive position, and immediately took strong countermeasures against the U.S.

But Trump initially still wanted to increase pressure to force China to compromise. However, China firmly refused to yield, responding strongly. After several rounds of back-and-forth, Trump finally actively sought trade talks with China.

As of now, the U.S. and China have held three rounds of negotiations. However, to the disappointment of the U.S., in each round of negotiations, China has not relaxed its bottom line, and has not given up any of its interests. The U.S. could only reluctantly say that China was "very firm."

Now, after Trump met face-to-face with Putin for almost three hours, and failed to reach an agreement, he then evaluated Putin as "very tough."

For Trump, who is used to "those who obey me prosper," this kind of "unshakable" attitude naturally became "tough" or "strong" in his eyes.

In a way, it can be said that Trump has a common understanding of China and Russia: they are both very firm. Russia will not change its position because of American threats, just like China will not compromise on core interests.

Whether it's China's firm stance in dealing with the U.S. "tariff war" or Putin's unyielding approach to the Ukraine issue, neither are those who can be intimidated or follow the U.S. script easily.

Trump's evaluation is essentially an acknowledgment, acknowledging that both China and Russia do not fall for the U.S. "maximum pressure" tactics. However, although the "Putin-Trump meeting" did not result in a final agreement, the in-depth exchange between the two sides laid the foundation for subsequent negotiations.

Moreover, the fact that the U.S. and Russia did not reach an agreement is not surprising. As China stated, complex issues cannot be solved simply.

Putin has already extended an invitation to Trump, hoping he would come to Moscow himself. Trump responded to this, saying it was possible, and it is likely that the two sides will hold a second round of meetings later.

Original text: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7539073590457680438/

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